John Wick
Vigo Tarasov: I hear you struck my son.
Aurelio: Yes, sir, I did.
Vigo Tarasov: And may I ask why?
Aurelio: Yeah, well, because he stole John Wick’s car, sir, and, uh, killed his dog.
Vigo Tarasov: [silence] Oh…
(From the film “John Wick”)
A quiet and silent man had the crazy luck to meet the woman of his life. Because of her he felt alive. Nothing else mattered to him or did he love except her (well, and his 1969 Ford Mustang). However, their happiness lasted only five years. Illness intervened, which took away the love of his life. His Helen is no more.
He was left alone.
After her funeral, his house seemed empty. However, mail arrived for him. A letter Helen wrote before her death, in which she jokingly emphasized he must find something to love, because the car doesn’t count. And with the letter arrived a small cute dog, a beagle breed (Daisy). This sweet little mutt, besides needing to bring brightness into his life, was also his only remaining connection to Helen.
One evening, a group of gangsters (who speak Russian) breaks into his home, beats the widower to death, kills his dog and steals his beloved Mustang.
That’s the worst thing that could have happened to the Russian gangsters.
Yes, you read that correctly.
Because that quiet and silent widower is John Wick.
Once a legendary hitman.
A man who once performed an impossible task for Viggo Tarasov, head of the Russian mafia in New York. An impossible task that gave Tarasov power, and gave John the opportunity to exit the world of professional assassins and become an “ordinary” man and live a peaceful life with his beloved.
Now, among the group of thugs who attacked John (though they had no idea who he was) was Iosef Tarasov, Viggo’s spoiled son. And when Viggo found out whose dog his spoiled idiot of a son killed and whose car he stole, he had to take something for his blood pressure, because this meant only one thing.
War.
Russian mafia of New York VS John Wick.
Odds that the Russian mafia will whack John Wick: 6.00
Odds that John Wick will exterminate the Russian mafia: 1.10
That’s the kind of man John Wick is.
And now you’ve enraged a man who “retired” from the world of killing and who just buried his wife, by killing his dog and stealing his car.
What do you think will be the revenge of a man the criminal underworld calls with awe “Baba Yaga” (Boogeyman), though they later correct themselves and say that “John Wick is actually the man you send to kill Baba Yaga.”
He’s not just some John Wick… he’s THE John Wick… a legend in the world of professional assassins. A man who specializes in firearms (primarily pistols) which he always “confirms” everyone with in the head (headshot). But even if you want close combat with him, with his mix of judo, jiu-jitsu (both Japanese and Brazilian versions) and Krav Maga he’ll let you know that was an idiotic idea. A person they say managed to kill three people with one pencil. One ordinary f***ing graphite pencil.
And everyone agrees that stories about John and what all he can do aren’t exaggerated, but rather too understated.
And so, now on one side you have the hardened Russian mafia of New York, and on the other “Baba Yaga.”
Who will win?
Find out with the film “John Wick”! 🙂
The film’s plot is simple and naive, but its charm lies in revealing details from John’s past. Viggo Tarasov mobilizes the entire mafia and moreover offers a two million dollar reward for John’s head, and the first person he offers this money opportunity to is John’s former mentor and friend Marcus.
John, meanwhile, decides to pull out his old trade’s “tools” from the basement… firearms and gold coins, the currency of trade in the “business” world. He decides his temporary base will be the “Continental” hotel, which is a world unto itself. The “Continental” is a luxury hotel and simultaneously “neutral territory” for the underworld. There you can get necessary information, arrange business (assassinations and such), but bloodshed on any basis is strictly forbidden. The hotel is run by the “Manager” (a man named Winston) and he’s God and stick within the hotel. Winston warns John of the consequences of revenge, because it sends a message he’s “returned” to their world and may not get the chance to continue his retirement.
All in all, the idea of a hotel where professional assassins stay and which is neutral territory that all criminal organizations of the world must respect, and which has its rules and resources is a very interesting concept not seen before (at least as far as I know) in films.
The action in the film is top-notch! Chad Stahelski (once a stuntman and fight choreographer in films like “Matrix,” “Rambo,” “Ninja Assassin,” “Sherlock Holmes,” “Expendables 2,” “Man of Tai Chi,” “Deadpool 2”) and David Leitch (same as Stahelski, just on films like “TMNT,” “Tron: Legacy,” “Ninja Assassin,” “Matrix,” “300,” “Jason Bourne” series) debuted as producers and did a great job! Two guys who baked the craft firsthand in action films decided to make a dark, mysterious, raw yet elegant action film and mix over-the-top action scenes with a mild dose of realism (at least I assume this is what the world of professional assassins would look like).
John Wick uses his own weapons and opponents’ weapons (because he doesn’t exactly have pistols like in “The Dirty Dozen” with unlimited ammunition) for fastest elimination. He doesn’t pull any fancy kung-fu moves in close combat, but everything is based on quick strikes and moves to instantly disable the opponent. When necessary, he can be quiet and unnoticeable like a ghost. Just peek out of the darkness and bam! Both he and the victim disappear into darkness. And likewise when there’s no time, it won’t be a problem for him to simply go straight toward enemies and just “confirm” them in the head in order.
And the visual element of the film is also good. The film takes place mostly at night, and everything goes accordingly, all dark colors (especially black and blue) predominate, even in the gleaming “Continental” the colors seem slightly subdued, just in that neo-noir style. And all this is accompanied by good music, including a recognizable song that seems quite ominous.
What’s also great is that John Wick isn’t invulnerable. Oh no, he’ll get heavy beatings, will be wounded in every possible way (fists, bullets, knives, thrown from a floor, and even hit by cars) and the only thing keeping him alive is his will and desire for revenge.
Of course, all this wouldn’t turn out so great if the film’s star wasn’t the living saint, brother Keanu Reeves! The legendary Neo managed to breathe life into the very interesting personality of John Wick, with few words spoken (a total of 484 words spoken in this film, which clearly makes it known John Wick’s motto is “actions, not words”) and rare emotional outbursts (except a couple of scenes where his face softens when he remembers Helen or the dog, mostly his face shows cold-bloodedness, anger or grimaces from the pain he endures). Simply, brother Keanu has now deservedly entered history (i.e., the pantheon) of action heroes/mortals/agents like James Bond, Jason Bourne, Rambo, John McClane, Ethan Hunt and many others. Generally, Keanu has always been king to me, even before this Keanumania that took over about 10-15 years ago, and he has good films under his belt, regardless of the criticism that followed his acting abilities.
The man simply was never obsessed with money and accolades, but always filmed movies and projects (“Cyberpunk 2077”) that seemed interesting to him. That’s why it’s no surprise he agreed to act in a film that had only between 20 and 30 million dollars budget (and managed to earn 86 million, which is more than excellent, because nobody had high expectations for this film).
I was pleasantly surprised by the appearance of Daniel Bernhardt (“Mortal Kombat Conquest”) as bodyguard Kirill who excellently matched John Wick.
By the way, I’d also like to praise the short but excellent roles of Ian McShane (charming but full of authority hotel manager Winston), Lance Reddick (calm hotel receptionist Charon), legendary Willem Dafoe (as John’s former mentor Marcus), excellent Michael Nyqvist (brutal Russian boss Viggo Tarasov), John Leguizamo (mechanic who’s callous to everything) and Theon Greyjoy (lol) as Iosef Tarasov.
All in all, “John Wick” is a top film for me and a classic (not to say textbook example) of how to make an excellent over-the-top action film and this is one of those titles I can always watch without getting bored. And therefore a recommendation from me!
And finally, a few interesting facts:
- Keanu stated he did about 90% of the stunt/action parts himself (considering the complexity of scenes, and that he was 50 years old then, truly respect)
- Keanu, by the way, memorized the complex action scene (nightclub showdown) literally the same day he was filming it! And as if that weren’t enough, the man constantly filmed those action scenes while running a high fever!
- There’s a reason John Wick spared bouncer Francis in the nightclub. Francis, by stating he lost 20 kilos, subtly let John know there are 20 of Tarasov’s men in the club
- Brother Keanu went through intensive training for handling weapons and martial arts (eight hours a day… four months…)
- The tattoo on John’s back is the Latin phrase Fortis Fortuna Adiuvat (Fortune Favors the Brave)
- By some calculations (and statements from people who worked on the film), John Wick whacked 84 people
- Actress Eva Longoria is listed as one of the film’s producers, though she never appeared on set… she just wrote a check to finance the film…
And you, dear reader, what’s your favorite film with Keanu in the lead role, other than “Matrix”? 😀
Trailer | Imdb | Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic
Release Date: 2014 | Format: Film | Runtime: 101 minutes
